Method of controlling coiling machines



Feb. 19, 1952 w. D. BOYNTON 2,585,994

METHOD OF CONTROLLING COILING MACHINES Filed April 30, 1948 4 Sheets-Sheet l FIG/0 FIG.

By M A TTORNEV Feb. 19, 1952 w. D. BOYNTON METHOD OF CONTROLLING COILING MACHINES 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 50, 1948 MAM - AAAA AAA N 0 T MW W W R T W B Feb. 19, 1952 w. D. BOYNTON METHOD OF CONTROLLING COILING MACHINES 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed April 50, 1948 FIG. 5

FIG. 9

INVENTOR W 0. BOVN TON By i7.

ATTORNEV Feb. 19, 1952 w. D. BOYNTON METHOD OF CONTROLLING COILING MACHINES 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed April 30, 1948 m at /N|/N7'OR W 0. BOKN TON ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 19, 1952 METHOD-OF CONTROLLING COILING, MACHINES Wentwortlr D. Boynton, Woodbrook, Md.,. 3S1

signerto Western-Electric.Company; Incorporated,.New:.York; N; Y., aacornorationeof Newv York;

Application April 30, 1948, Serial 'N'o.- 24,407

3; Claims; (Cl. 242-),

This invention relates to methods ofcon trolling coiling-machines, and more particularly to methodsof controlling a coiling machine so that it produces coils each containing a predetermined length of a-filamentary article;

In the" manufacture of filamentary articles;

such as insulatedconductors; thefinished prodnot generally iswound into coils; each of whichis intendedto bemade-up of a specifiedlength of'the; filamentary articler In" general, coiling machines used for this". purposeare so controlled. that'the motor. driving the coiling ma chine' is" deenergizedafter" a predetermined number of 'feet ofa filamentary article has been coiled thereby, whereupon the coiling machine is allowed to coast'to a: stop. The coiling machi e. in.coastingto a stop continues'to coil up the filamentary. article and; as a result; thefinal.

coilproduced by the machine containsanadditional len th ofthe'filamentary article above In' order: to prevent the;

the specified footage; coils taken'up by the coilingpmachine'from con-- taining more. than the predetermined footage" requiredjper coil, it'is desirable togprovidemeans; for controlling thecoiling machine, which will take into account. in the coilingoperationpof each, coilthe coastingof thecoiling machinez Anv object of theinventionisto provide new and improved. methods? ofcontrolling coiling" machines.

An apparatus by' means of which methodsthe desired length of the coil by anamount.

equal to thefootage coiled up while the machine ,coasts to a stop, said coiling machine coasting to a stop to complete. the coiling operation after the,deenergizationcof" the motor.

Asa. result, each successive coiling operation of" the coiling machine consists of'a driven periodv and a coasting period which coact for each respective coiling operation to produce coils having uniform lengths of the filamentary article therein.

A clearunderstanding' of the invention will be had' from the following detailed description of specific embodiments thereof, .when read-in conjunction with, the appended drawings, in which;

1 ig..1'is.a front elevation of"a.combinedjtwist'- ing sparktestingy. and coiling; machine; includ ing apparatus embodying certainieatures; of the, invention:

Fig 2 is a: front: eleyation partially in sec} tion, of a control. device. shown in. Fig. 1,;v

Fig. 3 is a vertical, sectional .view; takenalon line-3 -3'-;ofs 'Fig .2;

Fig. 4. is i a.- .vertical...sectionaliviem taken; along. line--4-4rof. Fig; .3 n

Fig.- 5xisa wiring; diagrammfgan electrical;

circuit used. in connection. with; the? apparatus.

shown inFig. 2;;.

Fig. 6: is-a frontzelevationiofx a-control device, comprising; parts. of: anialternatingg embodiment of: the invention and havin portions; thereof. broken .awaylforz'clarity Fig. '7v is a left .endoview oizthefdevicashown in Fig.- 5;,

Fig. 8: is an; enlarged-r. sectional. view-:- taken. along line 88 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 9-v is a, wiring; diagram;- of; an; electrical circuit usediin :.connection;[withv the :device; shown: in Fig; 6;

Fig; 10 is arfragmentaryafront elevation-of another:v embodimentzrof I. the invention, and

Fig; 11 1s: a. verticalr.sectionalEJ/iew taken alon linell l' |l .ofFig-:. 10'.

Referrin no.w.-. in; detail to; the; draw-ingsiani more particularly to... Fig. 1;.an i insulated;;. C0171: ductor: indicated-by theanumeral. [01: is"; drawn; from avv supply. reel l I; into.v a twisting-.machine.

indicated generally. at .l 2; and; having zaarotatabletflyer: l3 driven. byan :zelectric; moton l4 through a suitable gear reducer uniti'il5... Anothenfsun-w ply. reel I8; is: positionedzwithin; the; rotatable; fiyer l3 of the;tWlSt8ITf 12;: and containssan zinesulated-i conductor: I 9; which is: identicali: in; size. and construction: with 1 the conductor l0:

When-the flyenl3 iswrotated byzthe motor l4; it twists the: conductors. hand 19: together to form atwisted pair: 20., Afterrthetw-isted. pain ZIP emerges from the: twister l2i-it advances; around. amidler sheave 211,- passesraround'a cape stan 22 several times and thenais drawn through a sparktesting apparatus 26. The twisteci-'pair 20 then passes-aroundaiguidepulley 21 mounted on the end 10f "Ta tensicnzarm 28Laaround a.pulley 30' carried: by: a suitable traversing mechanism 3| and" finally to: a rotatable coiling: head 32: providedi on one: end of a pivotally mounted: support 33 'ot a dual typecoiling machine A indicated' generally" at 34: The ceiling machine 34 isfully disclosedand'describedin'E?Di Han: son. Patent. 2,561,736, granted J 11131,. 24, 1951;, and will becdescribed herein only insofar, as it.is

necessary for a clear understanding of the invention.

The dual coiling machine 34 is provided with a second coiling head 35 which is rotatably mounted on-the other end of the pivotally mounted support 33 and which may be positioned to receive the twisted pair in place of the coiling head 32. The coiling machine 34 is provided with an electric motor 31 which is arranged to drive the particular coiling head positioned to receive the twisted pair 20, such as the coiling head 32, through a suitable gear reducer unit (not shown) and a clutch (not shown). A cover 36 is pivotally mounted on the coiling machine 34 so as to partially enclose the coiling head that is being driven by the motor to coil up the twisted pair 20.

The coiling machine 34 i provided with dual coiling heads 32 and 35 so that when one of the coiling heads has coiled up a predetermined footage of the twisted pair 20, it may be replaced by the empty coiling head and the machine continued in operation to coil up the twisted pair 20 while the previously wound coil is removed from the other coiling head.

A control device, such as is indicated generally at 46 (Figs. 1 and 2), is designed to operate at predetermined interval to automatically deenergize the motors l4 and 3'! driving the twister and the coiling machine, respectively, so that each coil taken up by the coiling heads will contain only a predetermined length of the twisted pair 20. Most of the mechanism of the control device (Fig. 2), is the same as that of a conventional counter the construction and operation of which are well known, and, therefore, the construction of the control device will be described only insofar as is necessary for a complete understanding of the invention.

The control device 46 is positioned on a support 4| mounted on the gear reducer 23 and is driven by a shaft 42, which, in turn, is drivenby suitable gearing (not shown) provided in the gear reducer 23. The shaft 42, through bevelled gears 44-44 (Fig. 3), drives a shaft 45 of the control device 40. The shaft 45, in turn; drives a vertical shaft 46 (Fig. 2) suitably journaled between the top and bottom walls of the control device 40 by means of bevelled gears 41-41. The shaft 46 drives a shaft 50 by means of a worm 5| secured on the shaft 46 and a worm gear 52 secured on the shaft 56. Counting Wheels 5353 are rotatably mounted on the shaft 56 and are driven by each other in the conventional manner, that is, each time the units counting wheel 53 is turned through one revolution by the shaft 56 it advances the tenths wheel 53 one digit, and each time the tenths wheel 53 completes one revolution it advances the hundredths wheel one digit. The shaft 50 is driven by the shafts 42, 45 and 46 in such a manner that the wheels 53--53 continuously record the footage of the twisted pair 20 taken up by the coiling machine when the motors are energized.

A cam 54 is mounted on the shaft 56 so as to be actuated by the hundredths wheel 53 of the control device, in the same manner that the hundredths Wheel normally actuates the thousandths wheel of a counting mechanism. The cam 54 is provided with ten equally spaced lobes 5555, which are successively advanced each time the hundredths wheel completes one revolution. The periphery of the cam 54, including the lobes 5555, is engaged by a roller 56 (Fig. '3) rotatably mounted on a shaft 51 secured between the tion shown on the drawings.

ends of a cam follower 66 pivotally mounted on a shaft 6| secured between the end walls of the control device. The cam 54 is positioned on the shaft 50 so that when the 0 digits of the counting wheels 5353 are aligned with a window 62 provided in the front of the control device, a lobe 55 of the cam is directly under the roller 56 of the cam follower 66.

The cam follower 66 is provided with an elongated arm 63 (Figs. 3 and 4) projecting therefrom so that the free end thereof is directly over the free end of a lever 64 pivotally mounted on a sensitive switch 66 secured to a partition 61 provided in the control device 40. The lever 64 engages a plunger 68 of the switch 66, which actuates a normally open contact 69 (Fig. 5) provided in the switch 66. A tension spring I6 has one end thereof secured to the partition 61 and the other end thereof secured to the end of the arm 63 of the cam follower 66 and serves to urge the cam follower 66 downwardly and to maintain the roller 56 in engagement with the periphery of the cam 54.

Referring to Fig. 5 of the drawings, low potential busses I3 and I4 are supplied with suitable potential by the secondary winding of a transformer I6 having it primary winding connected across one phase of a three-phase circuit connected to a source of three-phase potential indicated by the terminals 'I'I-'I'I. The threephase circuit connected to the terminals II-I1 serves to supply three-phase potential to the twister motor 14 through normally open contacts 18-18 provided on an electromagnetic contactor indicated generally at 80. The operating coil 8| of the contactor is connected across the busses I3 and I4 in series with a normally closed stop push button 82, a normally open start push button 84 and a normally closed contact 85 provided on a relay indicated generally at 86. The contactor 86 is provided with a normally open contact 81, which serves to bridge the normally open start button 84, once the coil 8| of the contactor 80 is energized by a momentary closure of the start button.

The contactor 86 is provided with a second normally open control contact 88, which serves to connect an operating coil 96 of a contactor 9! acros the busses I3 and I4 through the normally closed contact 85. The contactor 9| isprovided with normally open contacts 92-92, which serve to control the continuity of a second three-phase circuit connected to the three-phase supply terminals 'I'I'I'I and to the coiling machine motor 31. An operating coil 93 of the relay 86 is connected across the busses I3 and I4 in series with the normally open contact 69 of the switch 66, and a normally closed push button contact 95. The contact 69 of the switch 66 is moved at intervals into an open position by the lobes 5555 of the cam 54, against the action of the spring I0. The relay 86 is provided with a normally open contact 96, which i connected in parallel with the normally open contact 69 of the switch 66.

Operation Assuming that a reel II containing a supply of the conductor l6 and a reel l8 containing a supply of the conductor I9, have been placed in their respective positions, the conductors l0 and I9 are threaded through the apparatus, the ends thereof are secured to the coiling head 32, and the coiling head cover 36 is moved into the posi- Let it also be asmenace sumed that": the contror device 40" isadjusted-at the startofa series-of coiling operationssothat the-operating coil 81 of the-contactor-80-acrossthe control busses- 13-" and 14; thereby energizing the coil -'-8-l andclosing the contacts -18---'I8- ofthecontactor- 80 to connect the twister motor- [4 directly-to the three-phase supply-terminals TI -H's This energizationofthe-motor M rotatestheiiyer I 3to twist the conductors l i and I 9 together to form the twisted pair-2 ll; The normally open contact a'l-of the' contactor 80 also is closed upon the energizationof the coil 81; and serves to maintain* the --coil" 8| connected across the-'-busses I3 Y and I twhenthe' start button- 84 a is released.

The -norma1lyopen-contact 88 of-thecontactor 80 also is closed, thereby placing the-operating coil 90 "of-the contactor 9l-across-the busses i3 and- 14. The-energization of the coil 90- closes the contacts 92'92and connects the motor 31 across the three-phase supply terminals T!Tl, whereby-the motor--31 is energized and drives the coiling head 32; The actuationof the' start pushbutton-Bt-energizes the motors l4 and 31in the above-described sequence to initiatea coiling operation-o-f thecoilin head 32; whereupon the twisted pair producedby the 'flyer l3 is drawn from thetwister I 2by the capstan 22, then passes through the high voltage sparktesting apparatus 26 around the pulley 30 provided-on'the-distribut-- ing mechanism 3 l L and-finally is coiled up by the coiling head 32.

The control-device40 isdriven by the shaft 42, through the gear reducer 23 in such a manner, that eachtimethe-coilinghead 32-takes up one foot of the twisted pair; the unitswheel 53 advances one digit. The units counting wheeli53 of the control device-lfi, in turn, advances the tenths andhundredths wheels" digit by digit aseacheounting wheel of a lower order'completes one-revolution. Theapparatus continues to operate until the-hundredths-wheel53=of the-counter hasmade-onecomplete'revolution; in which case, as-thehu-ndredthswheel moves from 9'to 0, with respect to the window 62, it moves the cam 54 oneetenth .ofga revolution, that is, thedistance between two of the lobes 55-55, since there are ten'lobes onthe cam;

Uponwthis, movement of the cam 54, the spring 10- causesthe roller 56 provided on the cam follower-60150 enter the depression in the periphery; of the cam between the next successive lobes 5555, whereupon the arm; 53 of'thecam fol-- lower- 60 moves downwardly and strikes the lever 64 of'th'e switchBG: The lever 64 is moved downwardly thereby and presses the plungerfiB; which closes-the normally open contact 69 of the switch 65. When the cam 54 advances onelobethere will "be' only a momentary closure of the contact 69 because the next-succeeding one ofthe lobes 55%55"stops directly under the roller 56 and holds the arm 63 out of engagement with-the lever 64' when the cam comes to rest.

Closure of the contact 69 connects the operating coil 93 of the relay-86 acrosswthe busses Band-'14,- whereby the coil 93 is, energized and opens the normally closed contact and-closes the normally opencontact-BB; The openingof-the contact-85breaks thecircuit to the operating coils. 81 1 and *andqthereby causes the; contactors 8G.

and "to drop'open simultaneously 'to'disconnect themotors i 4- and 3-1 from= the termina'ls IT-+11:

and thereby terminate thedriven-portiomofi the The coiling operatiom of the COHiI'Ig' head 322 closure of the-contact- -96 oi=the relay 86 bridges the contact 69 0f the--switch 66=andmaintainsthecoil 93- energized after the momentary;closure-of the c0ntact59 has occurred.

Upon the simultaneous deenergization of the motors l4 and" 31; the coiling head 32 and the twister |2*coast: to-astop, and in=so doing; the coiling =head'32 coils up additional footage'ofthe twisted pair- 26. At the=point at which thecon-- trol device advancedrthe cam- 54- to deenergize the motors |4='-and*31; the0" of each-counting wheel 53-'-53--was' aligned with the window- 62-and the coilinghead 32- had 1 taken up 1000 of the:

twisted pair=2 ii -which ds-thed'ength of the twisted I pair required per coil. Therefore, when the ap--- paratus comes to-a stop, the -coil contains--thetotalfootage. of the twistedpair'20 which was taken up by coiling head 32. during the driven: portion and the'coasting portion of a the ceiling head 32, in which case the coil onthe-coiling head 32 contains more of "the twisted pairZo-thands 1 required per coil; Assuming that the-coasting period of the apparatus is such that coiling I head coils up six-"feet of" the twisted pair 20 as the=ap+ paratus' coasts to a stop,- the coil taken. up 1 by the=eoiling head 32 in the initialcoiling operas ti'on contains: onethousand and six feet" of the twisted.' pair 20- or six feet above that required per coil.

Since the wheels 53-53 of the control device had completed a predetermined measuring period duringwhioh the coiling head-32 coiled up 1000 of thetwistedpair 20 at the point when the motors were. deenergized, the control device was in position to begin another of its predetermined measuring periods; As the apparatus -coasts tc a stop, .the' control device which'is'driven by theshaft:42 continuestormeasure the footage of the: twisted pair being coiled up thereby. Thus, when the apparatus stopsthe coasting period will have consumed 1 a; portion of the successive predeter mined ,measuring: period which began upon thedeenergization of: the motors; in which case the controldevice now indicates only the footage of the twisted pair coiled upduring the coasting period ofthe coiling head" 32. If, as assumedabove, the'coasting-ofthe apparatus takes up six feet- 0f the twistedpair, the digit-6 of the units: wheel 53 is aligned with the'window- 62'at the end of the initial coiling operation of the coiling head-32;

After the apparatus has stopped; the cover- 36 ismoved to its broken line position, shown in Fig. liof the drawing, and thetwistedpair 20 is sev-- cred adjacent to the coiling head 32; The support -33 then is rotated to locate the coiling'head 35 in position toreceive the- -tw-isted pair: 20 and be driven by the-motor 31. The loose end'of the twisted pair 20 is secured to the coiling head 35' in asuitable-manner, and the cover-36'is returned to'itsnormal operating position. The-start but- I ton84 is actuated-to'initiatethe coiling operation.

of'the coiling head 35in the manner describedabove for-the coiling head 32.

The twisting, sparktesting-andcoiling operations-continue until the wheels 53-53 have completed the remaining-portionof their predeter the normallyopen contact 69 of the switch 66. The momentary closure of the contact 69 energizes the relay 86, deenergizes the contactors 80 and 9|, and disconnects the motors I4 and 34 from the three-phase supply terminals ll, whereupon the apparatus coasts to a stop to complete the coiling operation of the coiling head 35.

At the end of the next preceding coiling operation, the units wheel of the control device 40 had been advanced an amount equivalent to the length of the twisted pair 20 that was coiled on the coiling head 32 while the apparatus was coasting to a stop. Consequently, at the point at which the cam 54 was advanced one lobe by the hundredths wheel 53 and the motors I4 and 31 were deenergized to terminate the driven portion of the coiling operation of the coiling head 35, the coil on the coiling head 35 lacked the required 1000' of the twisted pair 20. However, after the motors are deenergized by the move,- ment of the cam 54, the apparatus again coasts to a stop and in so doing continues to coil up additional footage of the twisted pair 20. Since the amount the apparatus coasts each time the motors are deenergized is practically constant throughout a series of coiling operations, the length of twisted pair that is coiled during each coasting period of the apparatus is substantially equal to the footage of the twisted pair that the coil lacks at the point at which the motors are deenergized, whereby each completed coil, after the first one, contains the required 1000' of the twisted pair.

On the basis of the assumption that the coasting of the apparatus takes up six feet of the twisted pair 20, when the coiling head 35 is placed in operation to coil up the twisted pair 20, the control device 40 registers six feet. In that case, when the coiling head 35 coils up only nine hundred ninety-four feet of the twisted pair 20, the control device 40 has completed its predetermined measuring period, whereupon the motors I4 and 3'! are deenergized and the apparatus coasts to a stop to complete the coiling operation. Since the control device 40 continues to operate as the apparatus coasts to a stop, the control device will register six feet when the coiling head 35 stops, since the coasting of the machine is substantially uniform for each coiling operation. Therefore, the coil coiled up by the coiling head 35 contains the required one thousand feet of the twisted pair 20, because the coasting of the machine makes up the footage of the twisted pair 20 that the coil lacks when the motors were deenergized by the control device.

Each successive coiling operation of the coilin heads 32 and 35 consists of a period during which the coiling heads are driven by the motor I4 and a coasting period which add up for each complete coiling operation to produce coils having the required 1000 of the twisted pair '20. Thus, while the first coil taken up by the coiling head 32, when such apparatus is first placed in operation, contains an overrun of the twisted pair 20 caused by the coasting of the apparatus, each successive coil formed thereafter will contain only the predetermined footage of the twisted pair required per coil, whereby any waste of the twisted pair 20 in the coiling operation thereof is substantially eliminated.

1st alternative embodiment Figs. 6, 7, 8 and 9 of the drawings show an alternative embodiment of the invention in which a control device I40 (Figs. 6 and 7) is mounted on the support H in place of the control device 40, and is driven by the shaft 42 in the manner described for the control device 40.

The control device I40 is identical in construction and operation with the control device 40 except that a cam I54 having a single lobe I55 is positioned on the shaft 50 and actuated by the hundredths wheel 53 in place of the cam 54, and a resetting apparatus indicated generally at 200 is provided for quickly resetting the control device I40 to 0 upon each movement of the cam I54. The cam I54 is positioned on the device I40 so that the lobe I55 maintains the sensitive switch 66 normally open when the recording wheels of the device I40 register 0" and is provided with internal teeth 205-205, I

which engage a pinion 206 keyed on the end of the shaft I50 of the control device I40. The segment 204 is provided with a splined hub 201, which engages a splined bore provided in the end of a reset lever 208. A pair of links 2I0-- 2I0 have one end thereof connected pivotally to the end of the lever 208 by means of a pin 2 and the other end thereof connected by means of a pin 2i2 to an armature 2 I3. The armature 2I3 forms part of a conventional solenoid 2I5 having an operating coil 2I6, which, when energized, serves to pull the lever 208 downwardly, thereby resetting the counting wheels 53-53 and the cam 554 of the control device to their respective "0 positions. The solenoid 2I5 is mounted on a bracket 2i"! secured to the support 4I (Figs. 6 and 7). V

Fig. 9 shows a schematic wiring diagram for the alternate embodiment of the invention which employs the control device I40. This diagram is identical with the diagram shown in Fig. 5 for the control device 40, except for the cam I54, and the coil 2I6 of the solenoid 2I5 connected in parallel with the coil I93 of the relay I86, which is arranged to be energized by closure of the switch 66 in the manner described for the relay '80 in the main embodiment of the invention.

Operation of 1st alternative embodiment In the alternative embodiment of the invention,

the control device I40 operates in the same manner as the control device 40, except for the fact that when the cam I54 is actuated by the device I40 to move its single lobe I55 to its broken line position shown in Fig. 8, the solenoid coil 2I6 is energized simultaneously with the deenergization of the motors I4 and 31 to quickly reset the control device to 0. The resetting of the control device I40 returns the cam I54 to its full line position shown in Fig. 8.

Upon the deenergization of the motors I4 and 31 by the movement of the cam I54, the apparatus coasts to a stop, and the coiling head continues to coil up the twisted pair 20. Therefore, the initial coiling operation performed by the coiling machine will produce a coil having more than the required footage of the twisted pair 20. Since the coasting of the apparatus continues to drive the control device I40, it will register at the completion of the initial coiling operation only the footage of the twisted pair taken up by the coasting of the apparatus. The control device remains in this partially actuated condition when the second coilingoperationiis:Pini-tiated, and when .ithe cam [54' again deenergizes the motors, the

.'tfo1lowing;.the deenergization-of the motors, adds that footage of the twisted; pair which the oil Jackedat that point, and the :final coil contains the predetermined footage of the twisted pair required per coil.

Since the control device I40 is instantaneously reset to its normal starting position upon the movement of the cam I54, which deenergizes the motors l4 and 31, the coasting of the apparatus which completes the coiling operation consumes a portion of the predetermined measuring period of the control device. But while this coasting of the apparatus consumes a part of the next operating period, it also adds to the coil in process of being coiled the footage of the twisted pair 20 that the coil lacks at the point at which the motors were deenergized. Consequently, each successive coil taken up by the coiling machine contains only the desired length of the twisted pair 20 and any excess of the twisted pair 20 in the coils is eliminated, except for the first coil produced in a given series of coiling operations.

2nd alternative embodiment Figs. and 11 of the drawings show another embodiment of the invention in which a control device 240 is mounted on the support 4| in place of the control device 40 and driven by the shaft 42 in the manner described for the control device 40.

The control device 240 is identical in construction with the control device 40 except that a cam 254 having a single dwell 255 is secured to the hundredths wheel 53 for rotation therewith, digit by digit, in a counterclockwise direction, when viewed in Fig. 11, instead of being positioned on the shaft 50 and advanced like the thousandths wheel of a counter. The cam 254 is positioned on the hundredths wheel of the device 240 so that the periphery of the cam maintains the sensitive switch 66 normally open when the counting wheels register 0 with respect to the window 62.

Operation of 2nd alternative embodiment The control device 240 operates in the same manner as the control device 40 to determine the length of the twisted pair to be coiled up during each coiling operation of the coiling heads 32 and 35, except for the fact that the cam 254 rotates with the hundredths wheel. Since the cam 254 has only the single dwell 255, it maintains the switch 66 closed until the cam and hundredths wheel make one complete revolution. The last movement of the hundredths wheel in completing one revolution moves the dwell 255 of the cam momentarily under the roller 56, whereupon the switch 66 is opened to deenergize the motors l4 and 31.

The apparatus then coasts to a stop to complete the coiling operation of the coil being coiled up, following the deenergization of the motors, and consumes a portion of the successive footage measuring period of the control device 249. The motors are deenergized by the device 240 in each successive coiling operation when the length of the twisted pair 20 which has been coiled up is less than the desired length per coil by an amount equal to that coiled up while the apparatus coasts to a stop. As a result the apparatus will produce coils =01! the twisted pair 20 of uniform length throughout a series of'coiling operations.

It is-to be understood-that the above described arrangements are merely illustrative of the appli- "cation of the principles of the invention. Numerous other arrangements may be readily devised by those skilled in the art which will embody the invention and fall within the spirit and scope thereof.

While several kinds ofcontrol devices have been described for practicing methods embodying the invention in conjunction with an apparatus for twisting and coiling electrical conductors, such methods may be employed in coiling or Winding various types of filamentary articles where it is required to produce a coil or package containing a predetermining length of the filamentary article. By the same token, the control devices may be designed to measure and produce coils of any desired length other than 1000', which length was used merely to illustrate the invention. Also they could be positioned to be driven directly by the travelling filament, instead of through the gear reducer described.

What is claimed is:

1. The method of controlling a motor driven machine for coiling filamentary articles to produce coils of substantially uniform length, which comprises energizing the motor driving the coiling machine to initiate a coiling operation of the filamentary article initiating a predetermined footage measuring period of the filamentary article being coiled up simultaneously with the initiation of the coiling operation, deenergizing the motor driving the ceiling machine when the predetermined measuring period has elapsed, allowing the coiling machine to coast to a stop, initiating a second footage measuring period of the filamentary article upon the deenergization of the motor so that the coasting of the machine consumes a portion of a second footage measuring period, and repeatedly initiating successive coiling operations with a portion of each predetermined measuring period partially consumed by the coasting period of the next preceding coiling operation and deenergizing the motor upon the expiration of its respective predetermined measuring period.

2. The method of controlling a machine for coiling filamentary article to produce coils of uniform length, which comprises connecting motive power to the coiling machine to coil the filamentary article, simultaneously measuring the length of the filamentary article being coiled by the coiling machine, disconnecting the motive power from the coiling machine when a length of the filamentary article required per coil is recorded by the measuring means, allowing the coiling machine to coast to a stop, and starting the measurement ,of the next successive predetermined length of the article at the beginning of the period during which the coiling machine coasts to a stop.

3. The method of controlling a machine for coiling filamentary articles to produce coils of uniform length, which comprises applying motive power to such a coiling machine to coil a filamentary article, simultaneously measuring the length of the article being coiled by the machine, disconnecting the motive power from the machine when a length of the filamentary article required per coil is recorded by the measuring means, allowing the coiling machine to coast to a stop, and simultaneously resetting the measuring means to its starting position when the motive power is disconnected from the machine so that 2,586,994 11 12 the measuring means starts the measurement of REFERENCES CITED the next successive predetermined length of the The following references are of record in the article at the beginning of the period during fil of this patent; which the coiling machine coasts to a stop,

whereby each successive driven period and its 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS associated coasting period of the machine pro- Number Name Date duce coils of uniform length. 1,904,869 Larsen Apr. 18, 1933 1,990,834 McIlvried Feb. 12, 1935 WENI'WORTH n. BOYNTON. 1122368 Hm July 1938 

